South Asia, harboring the complex Himalayan terrains, has over one-fifth of the world’s population and is recognized as the most hazard-prone region of the world. The exponential increase in population with the consequent pressure on natural resources and continued high rates of poverty and food insecurity also makes this region the most vulnerable region to hazards in the world as far as the impacts of climate change are concerned.
Over the last century, the climatic trends in South-Asia have been observed to be characterized by increasing air temperatures and an increasing trend in the intensity and frequency of extreme events. IPCC (2014) has reported that the Himalayan highlands shall face significant warming over the next century. The increasing frequency of natural hazards due to the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas calls for efficient management and policymaking in these regions, which can only be implemented by the local governments through an established science-based robust action plan.
This edited volume focuses on the management of natural hazards using innovative techniques of spatial information sciences and satellite remote sensing. It contains chapters from eminent researchers and experts in the field of hazard management, remote sensing, and GIS. The primary focus of this book is to replenish the gap in the available literature on the subject by bringing the concepts, theories, and practical experiences of the specialists and professionals in this field together in one volume to help students, researchers, and policymakers to address issues concerning management and policy implications of natural hazards in the complex Himalayan region.
Author(s): Shruti Kanga, Gowhar Meraj, Majid Farooq, Suraj Kumar Singh, Mahendra Singh Nathawat
Series: Geography of the Physical Environment
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 185
City: Cham
Preface and Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Editors
Introduction to the Disasters and Hazards in the Himalayan Terrains
Disasters in the Complex Himalayan Terrains
1 Introduction
2 Concept and the Structure of This Book
3 The Way Forward for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Himalayan Region
References
Hazards in the Perspective of Himalayan Terrain: A Review
1 Introduction
1.1 Floods
1.2 Landslides
1.3 Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
2 Conclusion
References
Landslides in the Himalayas—Causes and Consequences
Himalayan Landslides–Causes and Evolution
1 Introduction
2 Type of Landslides
3 Himalayas and Lithotectonic Units
4 Causes of Landslides
5 Monitoring of Landslides
6 Conclusions
References
Landslides in the Himalayas: Causes, Evolution, and Mitigation—A Case Study of National Highway 44, India
1 Introduction
2 Description of the Study Area
2.1 Climate and Rainfall
3 Causes of Landslides on the Himalayas
3.1 Soil Moisture
3.2 Natural Density
3.3 Specific Gravity
3.4 Direct Share
4 Earthquake
5 Land Surface Temperature (LST)
6 High Altitude and Sharp Slopes
7 Evolution
8 Mitigation
9 The Way Forward
References
Geo-Environmental Impact of Road Widening Project Along National Highway-44, Jammu and Kashmir, India
1 Introduction
2 Geo-Environmental Setup Along NH-44
3 Geo-Environmental Challenges Along NH-44
3.1 Pre-investigations for Widening of NH-44
3.2 Types of Geo-Environmental Challenges Along NH-44
4 Landslide and Associated Impacts Along the Part of NH-44, Udhampur to Chenani Road Section: A Case Study
4.1 Discussions
4.2 Agriculture and Residential Ground Failure at Higher Altitude
4.3 Failure of Foundation of High-Tension Transmission Line Towers
5 Precautionary Measures for Landslide Zones
5.1 Investigation Stage Mitigation Plan
5.2 During Construction Stage
5.3 During the Operation Stage
6 Conclusion
References
Floods in the Himalayas—Causes and Consequences
September 2014 Floods in Kashmir Himalaya—Impacts and Mitigation Strategy
1 Introduction
2 Causes and Impact
3 Study Area
4 Results and Discussion
5 Conclusion, Strategies, and the Way Forward
References
A Review on the Estimation of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalayan Region Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
1 Introduction
2 Methodology
2.1 Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
3 Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalayas
3.1 Data Availability for GLOFs Assessment
3.2 Methods Used to Asses GLOFs
3.3 Use of Photogrammetry in Bathymetry Estimation
3.4 Use of Multispectral Imagery in Bathymetry Estimation
3.5 Use of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Imagery in Bathymetry Estimation
3.6 Implication of Remote Sensing Application in Glacier Lake Bathymetry Estimation
3.7 Economic implications on the Downstream Populations/sectors
4 Mitigation Measures
4.1 Case Study for Mitigation Measures
5 Conclusion
References
Impact of Floods on the Green Energy Sector in Himalayas—A Case Study of Gagas Watershed, Uttarakhand, India
1 Introduction
1.1 Impact of Floods in the Himalayas, Specifically Sudden Storm Events, on Different Sectors
1.2 Impact of Floods on the Green Energy Sector – Small Hydropower Projects
2 Case Study—Gagas Watershed Hydropower Vulnerability to Natural Hazards
3 Results and Discussion
3.1 Hydro-Ecological Sustainability
3.2 Techno-Environmental Sustainability
3.3 Economic Sustainability
3.4 Social Sustainability
3.5 Flood Vulnerability
4 Conclusion
References
Earthquakes in the Himalayas—Assessment and Forecasting
Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry to Measure Earthquake-Related Deformation: A Case Study from Nepal
1 Introduction
2 Study Area
3 Methodology
4 Results and Summary
References
Earthquake Forecasting in the Himalayas Artificial Neural Networks
1 Introduction
2 Model Formulation
2.1 Neural Networks
2.2 Seismicity Indicators
2.3 Design of a Suitable Network
3 Data and Implementation
4 Results
4.1 Accuracy
4.2 F1-Score
4.3 Learning Cure for the Model
5 The Way Forward and Conclusions
References
Hazard Mitigation Strategies in the Himalayas
Forest Fire Alert System of India with a Special Reference to Fire Vulnerability Assessment of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir
1 Introduction
2 Use of GIS in Forest Fires Mapping
3 National Policies on Forests and Forest Fires
3.1 National Forest Policy
3.2 National Action Plan on Forest Fires, 2018
3.3 National Forest Fire Alert System
3.4 Forest Fire Alert System Ver. 3.0 (FAST 3.0)
3.5 The Himalayan Region of Jammu and Kashmir—Forests and Forest Fires
3.6 Forest Fire Vulnerability Assessment of UT of Jammu and Kashmir—A Case Study
4 Methodology
5 Results and Discussion
6 Conclusions
References
Hazard Mitigation and Climate Change in the Himalayas–Policy and Decision Making
1 Introduction
2 Recent Changes in the Snowfall Patterns Due to Climate Change and Its Impacts on the Himalayas
3 Climate Change, Atmosphere and the Cryosphere Interactions
4 Conclusions and the Way Forward for Policy and Decision Making for Adapting to Climate Change
References
